former israeli prime minister olmert is sentenced to 18 months in prison. details in a life report coming up. you're watching al jazeera live from doha. also ahead, move to safety, hundreds of fighters and their families are relocated from syria. plus al jazeera gets access to what was once armed boko haram heavily fortified base in neither. we travel to argentina where massive floods are forcing

thousands of families to start again. israel's supreme court has sentenced former prime minister olmert to 18 months in prison in a bribery case. it partly reverses a lower court sentence to which he was sentenced to 6 years behind bars. he is the first public office to be imprisoned. he was a popular prime minister when he was in office. what's the reaction so far to the sentence? >> reporter: there has certainly been an awful lot of surprise that olmert, an israeli prime minister, who will now go down in history, perhaps history he doesn't want go down in, as the first israeli prime minister who

will serve a prison sentence. i think already questions are being asked about the term of this sentence, 18 months. there are some sections of israeli society who believe that he should have served the full six years that he was initially sentenced to until the 18 months that he has now been given as part of this appeal, an appeal which found that mr olmert was not involved in the way they saw it. the major bribery and corruption that led to the construction of the holy land development, a development which you can actually see over my shoulder there which is this at all building which-- tall building which is a very stark contrast to that which you see across west jerusalem, which is low-lying buildings constructed in jerusalem. this is a different looking building and that's why it is so controversial, not the least of what the corruption surrounding it. in any event, his sentence was reduced to 18 months because he

was found to be involved in taking bribes and fraud, but involved in different ways. but people surprised and some angry saying that he should have been given the faction sentence this particular bribery says had been going on for some time, of course, but it's not the last legal problem that olmert is facing. >> reporter: certainly not. mr olmert has another case in which he could see himself going to jail for another sentence of around eight months in prison. this spans back to the time when he was the mayor of jerusalem, he is accused of accepting what has been described as envelopes of cash from a u.s. businessman. so mr olmert will be appearing in court in the next few months

to deal with that specific issue. whatever the case, as we have been saying, he is still going down in history as the first israeli p.m. who has not only been convicted of a major fraud offence, convicted of a major corruption offence, but is said to go to prison from 15 february thank you very much for that. iraq's prime minister's has vowed to retake the city of mosul from i.s.i.l. after declaring a strategic victory in ramadi. ramadi flew the flag over government buildings after recapturing key parts of the city on monday. this is the biggest advance by the government and sunni fighters in months. the prime minister says he is confident that i.s.i.l. will be defeated in the year ahead >> if 2015 is the year of lib legislation, 20-- liberation, 2016 will be the defeat of

i.s.i.l. we have come to liberate mosul and it will be the final fall of i.s.i.l. the spokesman of the u.s. led coalition against i.s.i.l. says the ramadi offensive is not yet over. >> there is still plenty of work to do in ramadi. we still need to stabilize the remainder of the euphrates river valley and we have to work on the tigress river valley. so this will be a process. i want everyone to be clear that there is still a lot of work ahead of us. this enemy is still dug in very deeply in portions of iraq. they still have the capability to fight. they still have the capability to do harm. so this is going to take time u.s. secretary of state john kerry says iran has started full filling its part of a nuclear deal with six world powers. that's after a ship left the cup for russia under the agreement iran must ship out all but 300

kilograms of the material it has stock piled. >> iran is moving forward in moving much of its uranium enrichment. the iea will verify all the steps and more and the agency is continuing its own preparations to implement the extensive monitoring and verification regime of the nuclear program at least 30 people have been killed in an attack in the north-east of nigeria. two suicide bombers struck a mark. in a neighbouring state gunmen opened fire and detonated explosives in a mosque. no-one has claimed responsibility. but boko haram is, of course, suspected to have carried out the latest waves of attacks that come ahead of a deadline. military chiefs were given to december 31 to defeat the group

mained obtain significant progress it has made. al jazeera was given access to a boko haram base. >> reporter: on patrol with neithern military in the heart of boko haram's former stronghold, this forest has myth and noteriety. the thought of it fills many with dread. it is territory seized by boko haram. a new government and military leadership took over this year. it has declared that the group is no longer dominant. >> it is what is daily becoming more peaceful, better than it used to be. we believe that for every second, for every minute and for every day things will continue to improve. >> reporter: still, the military stepping up operations, mopping up and securing areas they've

recaptured. no nigerian has seen as much as this behind me. it has been pounded from the air for several months. we are told it is unsafe to go into there because of continuing military operations and, of course, the presence of ordinances, land mines planted by boko haram to stop or slow down the military from advancing. on the road to one of the most devastated towns, our military handlers took us through areas of destruction, a legacy of six years of violence. >> what is going on now, i don't think the army is going to stay here for a very long time due to the defeat because boko haram is no longer to stay. >> reporter: another school occupied and ravaged by the group before the military chased them out. girls were taken from this town before the other girls were

taken. this man couldn't go to the river previously, but now his new fish traps are ready to be laid. >> translation: life was tough, but now we can go to the river and with the troops around things are getting better and better. >> reporter: things have improved, but fear remains as boko haram has carried out a series of suicide bombings recently. like many people in the north-east, this man knows the fight for stability may continue for some time to come almost three years of veeps between muslim and christian armed groups in the central african republic has crippled the economy. prices have doubled. people hope that the new election will change that. >> reporter: business is brisk, but many goods are hard to get

which is driving up prices. muslims and christians used to ahaggle here together but only christians are here to bargain now that their muslim neighbors have been driven out >> translation: events in the country means farmers have not been producing as much. many have been killed and many run away so there is also produce. >> reporter: necessity have been rocked by sectarian violence for almost three years. they erupted when rebels were driven from power by mostly christian militia which hit back at many muslims. the effects of this is making life hard. >> translation: today you needed 8 and before it was 4. it is too high >> reporter: people don't have as much money to spend here. the owner's costs are also rising as importers have hiked hair fees for travelling the dangerous roads.

wednesday's election could help end the economic paralysis. >> translation: we're expecting a lot from the election. we're hoping for political civility. we can't stay in this state of instability. >> reporter: security is very tight ahead of the vote. since fighting flared again in september, about 100 people have been killed. here is the most prominent muslim candidate for president. he is giving his campaign here. it is symbolic. he says it is time to move on. >> translation: we can for give but never forget because what happened was very serious. it was a terrible thing. it pushed our country into an reign of violence. i've come to a christian neighborhood today where no

muslim could come before. with my strong will i have started to bring central africans back together. >> reporter: he is optimistic, but there are many unknowns. in a country with such a volatile history, fresh wounds are easily opened. tania page. central african republic coming up after the break here on al jazeera, relatives of the syrian boy whose lifeless body sparked worldwide outrage arrived in canada. china town, how the once popular immigrant enclaves are on the decline in the u.s. stay with us. ay with us. are

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are welcome back. you're watching al jazeera. a reminder of our top stories. israel's top court has reduced former prime minister olmert's prison term to 18 months in a prescribery case. it is the first time-- bribery case. a prime minister has been sentenced. iran has began full filling a deal. 11,000 kilograms of uranium has left for russian. of those trapped in rebel held territory have arrived

more now on that story. let's bring in our correspondent who joins us from the turkey-syria border. this deal was, of course, made possible. the evacuations of these fighters and their families under a truce which was negotiated and brokered by the u.n. how is the plan being implemented and what is going to be happening to these people and their families next. >> reporter: first of all, i will update you on the latest of this story. basically, the pro-rebel fighters and their families have crossed to lebanon. they were flown to turkey and we know from our sources that early this morning they managed to cross into syria. most probably to idlib province

which is a stronghold of the rebels. we don't know whether some of those injured have been kept in hospitals here for treatment, but most of them have managed to cross into northern part of syria, most likely in idlib. shia fighters were evacuated and crossed into turkey and yesterday night they flew to lebanon. from there, they're expected to drive to the syrian capital damascus this is what is happening now. the evacuations are the latest in a series of similar moves that have been taking place recently in order to end the stale mate and move forward the peace process in syria. what does this signal. what are the prospects for the upcoming peace talks in geneva? is this good news as far as the peace talks are concerned?

>> reporter: it is. it is seen as a significant step forward. good news for the two parties and good news for the international community because there are steps to follow. for example, today the most powerful rebel group in idlib said it is going to allow aid to be channelled to the towns. these were towns which were under siege by the rebels for quite some time. in exchange they're expecting the syrian government to ease the siege on the towns and allow more aid to go into those areas under the control of the rebels. the international community is hoping to have trust between the syrian parties. so that they can start tackling the big issue of how to move forward reporting there live on the turkish-syria border. thank you for that.

the war in syria has forced many people to take grave risks trying to reach the safety of the europe. among them was a three-year-old whose body was washed ashore on the turkish coast. some of his family members have now reached canada. >> reporter: at vancouver international airport monday a family reunion. she greets her older brother, his wife and five children. just a few of the thousands of syrian refugees being welcomed to canada. >> thank you canada. thank you everyone. >> reporter: but there is misery mixed with joy for this family. another brother lost his wife and two sons trying to get to greece. they drowned off the coast of turkey in september. the images of three-year-old's body being recovered prompted outrage around the world and helped raised awareness of the hundreds of thousands of people streaming out of syria, iraq an

pakistan. it made this hairdresser go into the spot lot >> it changed my life. my brother was nobody, just a normal person. it is not easy. it is the most emotional, the hard thing i ever done in my life. >> reporter: since the tragedy in september, she has travelled abroad with the human rights organization avas and met with u.n. officials pub lickising the flight of refugees. go fund me web page set up by a friend will help her with her family. her brother will work as a barber. as this family adjusts to a new life her joy is tempered by nearly five years of war in her native country and the

reverberations throughout the region. >> enough already. enough suffering. enough people dying. i want to tell the world stop the war. >> reporter: canada is expected to accept 50,000 syrian refugees by the end of 2016 massive flooding has forced tens of thousands of people in four south american countries to take refugee in shelters. parts of uraguay and brazil and argentina have been affected. climate change is partly to blame. our correspondent travelled to concordia where thousands of people have lost everything. >> reporter: on a boat on the streets of concordia, this man is trying to make it back to the house he left to escape the flooding. >> translation: this was my mother's house, my brother's house. everything is under water.

>> reporter: concordia is located in the province, but the flooding is not happening here, but also in other areas. the el nino phenomenon is reported to be strong this year and scientists fear that this may lead to the worst effects in 15 years. >> translation: i've lost everything. i'm so angry and frustrated. i work every day to try to get something, but then this happens and everything is gone >> reporter: we're on the second floor of this house and as you can see this area is completely flooded. this is the poorest area in this city and many are afraid of leaving their property because they fear that whatever they have left will be stolen. argentina's new president visited the affected areas and claimed that argentina and the region will have to get ready to fight a changing climate. >> translation: this frequency we are seeing in rainfall in the rise of water has everything to

do with climate change. we have to use less energy and water and take care of the environment. >> reporter: he also said that the way to mitigate effects of climate change is by building more infrastructure. that's what people here have been waiting for years. around 10,000 people have been evacuated here. many live on the river banks because it is cheaper and they have nowhere else to go. this man has been leaving here for two weeks. authorities have told her that it will be months before she can go home. >> translation: we are very thankful for all the help we are getting. what we need is a house far away from the water. my children are sick. we have nothing left. >> reporter: people here say that they're used to floods, but this is the first time they have been forced out of their homes. flooding in argentina is affecting the most vulnerable and many here say that only government action can help them

deal with the effects of climate change across the border in brazil four people have died in a landslide triggered by heavy rain. it happened in the south eastern state of sao paola. a one year old girl was protected by her grandmother who died. guinea has become the latest country to be declared free of ebola. none of the countries affected by the virus have had an active case since november. the search for clinical vaccine. >> reporter: every time these two come to the lab for testing they wonder which one of them has been injected with the experimental ebola vaccine.

one was given a placebo and the other a trial vaccine. they're still looking for a vaccine for the ebola virus >> translation: at first my fop and i were scared. i didn't know what they were injecting me with and i didn't know what reactions it would cause. the doctors reassured me. it's my way to contribute against the fight against the virus. >> reporter: volunteers are not injected with ebola, but with a genetically modified safe version of the virus. then researchers give them two experimental vaccines. one to stimulate their immune response and the other to boost it. the idea is to enable the body to fight the virus on its own. >> translation: like any other vaccines, we expect some side effects such as fevers or headaches. we closely monitor volunteers. our priority is to ensure their safety. >> reporter: it normally takes

10 to 15 years to get a vaccine approved. scientists here are accelerating the testing phase to get the drug on the market as quickly as possible >> its unprecedented. scientists and researchers say it is justified because of the scale of the ebola outbreak and that the virus is still lurking in the environment. it is still a threat for people in west after reca. >> reporter: according to the united nations, owe bowl a-- eau bowial-- ebola infected 28,000 and killed 11,000. chimps have died of the virus. scientists still don't know how the virus jumped to humans. the outbreak has generated fear and an unprecedented global response. it has also brought west africans closer together. the fight against ebola is what

they see as their own. so far the vaccine they're testing is working throughout the ewe night states-- u.s. there are hundreds of immigrant enclaves where they live, work and socialise. about four million are chinese and many of them congregate in china towns in big cities. those areas are changing taking away a unique culture. >> reporter: when jenny tang came to washington dc with her family almost 20 years ago from china, she chose to live in the tight night ethnic enclave of china town nearlied to hold on to some of her cultural heritage. but today china town is fast disappearing. the famous chinese gate over the main avenue only remains as a tourist attraction surrounded by western food and clothing franchises. it is about the people. at one time, 3,000 chinese lived

in washington's china town. today only about 300 remain. hassle of those might soon be gone, their building being replaced, jenny tang to be evicted so a luxury condo can be built >> translation: most of the people who live here, we all have jobs. even though we have jobs, we don't have as much money as them. every day, every month, we pay our rent on time. >> reporter: they're victims of what is a process through which poor minorities are pushed out as the city develops and the wealthy move in. according to one study, non-chinese populations in these areas have doubled in a decade. some researchers estimate that of the 15 large china towns in america, only three still remain authentic to their chinese cultural past. >> the china town is not just with the people.

china town is a place where social networks, economic fabrics, right, it has been built. >> reporter: when chinese are pushed out, it breaks up cultural cohesion of the community and threatens traditions, but in new york people are fighting back. in some ways new york city has been one of the lone success stories of people taking to the streets to fight back against development because everybody here knows once the heart, soul and original character of their china town is gone, it likely will never come back. in washington, jenny tang knows this and is deeply satened. -- saddened. >> translation: my sister tells me to come back to china, but i don't want to go back. >> reporter: looking out at a china town that she now barely recognises and you can find more on

that story and many others on our website, al jazeera.com. the story stop right now, guinea in west africa being declared ebola free after more than 2500 deaths. the address again, al jazeera.com >> this week on talk to al jazeera actor and comedian richard lewis >> my goal is to make people laugh. first of all, i'm not entirely-- not depressed a lot of the time, either, by the w-- lemme just-- i don't wanna paint this rosy picture. >> often described as neurotic and angst ridded, lewis reflects on his rise from early stand up comedian, to becoming a household name. >> i was broke for a long time. but i was still-- felt like a million bucks, broke, living in horrible places, come-- going into a club and seeing the f